The tiny baby was brought over 125 miles to Baptist Christian Hospital, an enormous distance for this very poor couple to travel. She was born over three months early, and she weighed merely 2 pounds. Her diminutive size was noticed immediately by the medical officer when they arrived, and he could not believe the parents' story. This helpless infant had been denied admission at every hospital they had stopped at along the way. Baptist Christian Hospital was their last hope.

The odds of a baby's survival increase as the pregnancy progresses, and even an extra week in the womb can make a big difference. The survival rate for this infant was about 50% with the best care possible. While the staff at Baptist Christian Hospital did not have incubators, mechanical ventilators, preterm nutrition, or a pediatric surgeon, they determined to do the best they could for this child. The baby was kept warm in the nursery for ten days. Her mother was taught how to do kangaroo care, a method of caring for premature babies in which infants are held skin-to-skin by a parent for as much of the day as possible. Initially the baby was given only IV fluids, and then she was fed by a tube in her nose. Her weight initially dropped during her time in the hospital, but by the time she went home, she had begun to gain again. After ten days the parents wanted to take her home as they were daily wage earners and had no income coming in.

The baby was brought back in to the hospital for a checkup in a month, and her weight had increased to four pounds. Since she now had the strength, the mother was told to begin breastfeeding the baby. The staff was thrilled at the health of the child. Because the parents could not afford to pay for the hospital stay, the whole bill was written off. This sort of largess is only possible because of generous supporters like you.

Staff Spotlight On...Dr. Koshy George

When he was 13 years old, Koshy George decided to go into medicine. His uncle, a mission doctor in Kerala, was his inspiration. Watching him wake up at odd hours to attend to a patient while remaining peaceful impacted Koshy. The walks his uncle took him on to talk about the challenges faced by the poor got his wheels spinning. He knew becoming a mission doctor was for him.

His introduction to the Emmanuel Hospital Association came through his wife, Lydia John. They studied together at the Christian Medical College of Vellore in South India. She was the only person Koshy knew who had actually enjoyed her two years of work at a mission hospital because she served with EHA. Koshy’s experience in South India wasn’t as positive, and he became disillusioned by the corruption in the system. After Koshy and Lydia got married, he joined her at EHA and soon realized it was the best place to work.

Since 2001 the couple has served at three different EHA facilities, and they are now at Tezpur where Koshy is managing director. The leadership role has forced him to learn a lot about management and develop skills in handling people of different temperaments. Inevitably, he has faced challenges with stress and conflict management, with encouraging others to take up responsibility, and with supporting them as they learn from their mistakes. It is crucial that the whole team grow in the Lord and learn to lean on Him rather than trust their own reasoning and understanding.

More broadly, Koshy has found EHA’s leaders focused on Christ and His purposes for their lives. This gives the organization a unified direction and purpose. There is transformation among the staff, and they feel as though they are part of a great big family building the Kingdom of God while reaching the poor and marginalized. Each hospital is unique to its area, and at Tezpur they have seen God open and close doors for various projects and ideas in His time.

The impact on the community and its people is tremendous. They know they are touching the lives of forgotten people, and they bring the love of Christ to them in a way that makes a real difference in the care they provide. There is transformation, restoration, and renewed hope in the lives of both the community and the hospital staff. The joy that comes from this surpasses anything that money can buy!

Your support of EHA allows nearly 200 doctors like Koshy George to freely share and demonstrate the love of Christ to the poor of North India. Every dollar given to support EHA’s doctors is another dollar released to provide care for the thousands of indigent patients who otherwise would go without medical attention. Thank you, and please support EHA generously as the Lord leads and you are able.

At Baptist Christian Hospital...Sensing the Lord's Presence

The little girl came to BCH for follow-up treatment for her brain tumor after having initial surgery done at a Christian medical center in southern India. Her family brings her from a great distance of 240 miles, causing them to travel overnight. Why? They refuse treatment from any other hospital because, "I feel the presence of God in this place."

A group of children from a Buddhist orphanage insisted on visiting Baptist Christian Hospital for treatment. They declined being taken to any other facility. The warden of the orphanage visited the hospital to check on why the children wanted to come to BCH. After meeting with the managing director, he admitted, "I could feel the presence of God in this place as I walked into the hospital."

One Young Woman Experiences...Life TurnaroundShe lost the lower part of her left leg in 2008 when she fell from a moving train in Tangla Railway Station. Aruna longed to get an artificial limb, but her family could not afford the treatment. Depressed and without hope, she came to BCH's ADWR:Community Based Rehabilitation Project. This project focuses on awareness of a variety of disabilities and provides advocacy for the disabled. They accepted Aruna, 22, into the program and began a series of surgeries on her stump. For the first time since the accident, her stump stopped oozing. Aruna was then able to go to Guwahati and get an artificial limb.

Joining the project as a volunteer in 2010, Aruna was supported by the project team in every way, which helped her gain confidence. She now loves working with the children and believes that every child is special in the sight of God. So the woman who once struggled with her disability is now helping others through their difficulties. Seeing her enthusiasm and strong relationships with the children who come to the center, the project team appointed Aruna as the Community Coordinator in 2012. She responded with happiness in her face, confidence in her voice, and a smile that says she has hope. In her words, "I found Jesus and I found hope in this project."

Through Community-Based Rehabilitation at Baptist Christian HospitalA Disabled Child Receives New Life

Eight-year-old Jupitora suffered from seizures and struggled both with walking and talking. It's common in poor, rural areas in India for children with such special needs to be ignored. But because of EHA, she's filled with hope!

Many of EHA's hospitals have Community Health and Development Programs designed to address specific health issues. Baptist Christian Hospital, in Tezpur, is no exception. Their work includes a Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) program for children with disabilities.

One recent success story involves little Jupitora. She had seizures as a toddler, had problems with speech delay, and didn't walk until she was three. She was enrolled in the CBR program in 2010, and initially had many behavioral issues, including having trouble communicating and difficulty cooperating with therapies and activities. She was then brought to the hospital and diagnosed with cerebral palsy and a seizure disorder and was given medication for seizure control and a muscle relaxant.

Beginning in 2011, a vast change has been noticed in her behavior. Jupitora is participating in games, songs, dances, and other activities within the group. She also went through surgery to release her contractures and is progressing well. "I cannot thank God and the Community Health and Development program enough for giving my child a new life," says her enthralled mother.

At Baptist Christian HospitalSurgery Brings Relief

In the United States, we take our medical care and the accessibility of medical information for granted. In India, the poor often have little access to medical care and even less understanding regarding their medical conditions. One 30-year-old man was sure he was dying. He came to Baptist Christian Hospital with an excruciating pain on the right side of his back. His local doctor's treatment had accomplished nothing. After examination, it was decided that Ismail needed surgery to remove a stone lodged in his ureter. Now he is well and at peace. "I am relieved now. I thought with the pain I would end up losing my life. I thought I had a major illness, but the doctors and nurses here explained my problem clearly to me, and now I am happy my operation is done."

About Baptist Christian Hospital

The Baptist Christian Hospital (BCH) was established by the Baptist General Conference in Tezpur, Assam. They began in 1952 as a dispensary and have grown into a fully functioning hospital. Incorporated into EHA in 2004, BCH now strives to provide the highest quality care possible at an affordable cost to the communities of the districts of Sonitpur, Nagaon, Darrang, and Lakhimpur of Assam, as well as neighboring districts from the states of Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya.

Baptist Christian has an impressive array of facilities and departments, including open and laparoscopic surgery, ob/gyne, pediatrics, ophthalmology, pathology, digital x-ray, CT scans, ultrasound, endoscopy, and ECG. They offer specialty work in the areas of urology, cardiology, infertility, neurology, and orthopedics. BCH has an extensive outpatient department and a 24-hour emergency department and pharmacy. Another area they emphasize is education. They have a nursing school as well as offering training in para-medical studies, health administration, and finance.

Desiring to impact the community, BCH has developed several programs to aid those around them. Fighting malaria, especially in children, is one of their missions. They work with schools and churches to teach kids about their health and how mosquito nets as well as fogging and spraying help reduce the incidence of malaria. Another group BCH reaches out to is the disabled. They strive to help people with all different kinds of disabilities to achieve their full potential and lead healthy, safe, and fulfilling lives with dignity.

Their goals for the future include developing the hospital as the referral center of the region, providing medical education, and encouraging leadership development and community outreach. They want to be known for being Christ-centered, focusing on the poor and marginalized, giving high quality care with a holistic approach, and being people of integrity. They are committed to developing their staff, providing medical training, and being a learning- and growth-oriented organization which partners with like-minded agencies.